Humidification of a pressurized flow of breathable gas

A method for facilitating humidification of a pressurized flow of gas delivered by a system comprising a pressure generator, a nebulizer, a heater, and one or more hardware processors, the method comprising:

• generating, with the pressure generator, a pressurized flow of gas;
• providing fluid droplets, with the nebulizer, to the pressurized flow of gas;
• and
• heating, with the heater, a volume of the gas before droplets are supplied to the gas;
• wherein the gas delivered by the system exhibits a target temperature and humidity level at short distance d from the nebulizer due to one or more of a number of the droplets, an average size of the droplets, a gas flow rate, and/or an amount of heating power, wherein the distance d is in a range from 1 cm to 30 cm.

A system for facilitating humidification of a pressurized flow of breathable gas delivered to a subject, the system comprising:

• means for generating a pressurized flow of breathable gas for delivery to an airway within a trachea of the subject;
• means for providing fluid droplets to the pressurized flow of breathable gas;
• and
• means for heating a volume of the breathable gas before the droplets are supplied to the breathable gas;
• wherein the breathable gas received by the subject exhibits a target temperature and humidity level at short distance d from the nebulizer due to one or more of a number of the droplets, an average size of the droplets, a gas flow rate, and/or an amount of heating power, wherein the distance d is in a range from 1 cm to 30 cm.